Cost-effectiveness and Economic Benefit of Continuous Professional Development for Drug Prescribing

Key Points Question What are the comparative costs and benefits of physician continuous professional development (CPD) for drug prescribing? Findings In this systematic review of 38 studies, CPD was associated with reduced health care costs (median drug cost savings of $79 373) compared with no training. More intensive CPD (compared with no training or less intensive interventions) was associated with improved effectiveness (prescribing) outcomes but incurred greater education costs (incremental cost of $3 to $4105 per physician per standardized effectiveness change). Meaning These results suggest that physician CPD for drug prescribing is associated with reduced health care costs and that both effectiveness outcomes and costs should be considered when making education decisions.


eTable 2. Key features of economic methods and reporting for individual included studies
• 8 The source(s) of effectiveness estimates used are stated.
• 9 Details of the design and results of effectiveness study are given (if based on a single study).
• 16 Quantities of resources are reported separately from their unit costs.
• 17 Methods for the estimation of quantities and unit costs are described.
• 18 Currency and price data are recorded.
• 22 Time horizon of costs and benefits is stated.
• 23 The discount rate(s) is stated.
• 24 The choice of rate(s) is justified.
• 25 An explanation is given if costs or benefits are not discounted .
• 27 The approach to sensitivity analysis is given.
• 30 Relevant alternatives are compared [operationally defined as comparing cost for 2 or more CPD approaches). • 31 Incremental analysis is reported [operationally defined to include incremental cost -effectiveness ratio or net benefit]. • 32 Major outcomes are presented in a disaggregated as well as aggregated form.